If you have lots of email it is often difficult to find a specific message that you need. Even if you use Mailboxes and Smart Mailboxes, there can still be lots to comb through when you need something specific. Say, like when your boss calls and says “What percent discount did you offer Grandlegrumps for a purchase of 1,000 widgets?” You sent that message a week ago and you have slept since then. You don’t remember exactly, but if you find your email response quickly you can answer quickly.
As always, there is a built-in help. I know this is in Mountain Lion. Users of earlier versions of the OS can check to see if they have it.
I expect that everyone who has used Mail more than a week knows that there are symbols found on the title bar that can be clicked to respond to, or forward a message.
Reply To and Forward Symbols
These same symbols also appear in your list of messages, next to any message that you have replied to or forwarded. That way you know you took action on the email. Good deal, right? They do even more. Click on either the reply to, or forward symbol and they will take you directly to your response.
So, if you have a Smart Folder on the Grandlegrumps project all you have to do to get to the response you sent, is click on the respond arrow next to the correct message and you will instantly have it open in front of you and you can smoothly answer your boss’s questions. I’m sure she will be quite impressed.
Beginners Mac Blog 